The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-04-22
CHAPTER ".
BESSIE IS ASKED IN MARRIAGE.

In due course John Mel got over hi
sprained ankle and the other injuries inflicted
on him by the Infatuated cock ostrich lit is
by the way, humiliating thing to be
knocked out of time by feathered fowl,
and set to work to learn the routine Of farm
life. He did not find this disagreeable task,
especially when he had SO fair an instluctress
as Bessie, who knew all about it, to show him
the way in which he should go. Naturally of
an energetic and hard working temperament,
he very soon got more or less into the swing
OF the thing, and at the end of six weeks be-
gan to talk quite learnedly of cattle and os-
triches and sweet and sour veldt. About once
week or SO Bessie used to put him through
a regular examination as to his progress; also
she gave him lessons in Dutch and Zulu, both
OF which tongues she spoke to perfection; so
it will be seen that he did not lack for pleas
ant and profitable employment. Another
thing was that he grew much attached to old
Silas Croft The old gentleman, with his hand
some, honest face, his large and varied stock
OF experience, and his sturdy English charac-
ter, made great impression on his mind. He
had never met a man quite like him before.
Nor was the liking unreciprocated for his
host took wonderful fancy to John Mel.
"You see, my dear" he explained to his niece
Bessie, "he's quiet, and he doesn't know much
about farming, but he's willing to learn, and
he's such gentleman. Now, where one has
Kaftirs to deal with, as on a place like this,
you must have gentleman. Your mean
white will never get anything out of Kaffir;
that's why the Beers kill them and fog them,
because they can't get anything out Of them
without. But you see Capt Mel gets on well
enough with them. I think he'll do, my
dear, think he'll do" and Bessie quite agreed
with him. And SO it came to pass that after
this six weeks trial the bargain was finally
struck, and John paid over his 81 900 and
took a third interest in Mooifontein
Now it is not possible, in a general way,
for youngish man like John Mel to live in
the same house with young and lovely
woman like Bessie Croft without running
more or less risk Of ENHANCEMENT More es-
pecially is this SO where the two people have
little or no outside society or distraction to
divert the attention from each other. Not
that there was as yet, at any rate, the
slightest hint Of affection between them.
Only they liked one another very much, and
found it pleasant to be good deal together.
In short, they were walking along that easy,
winding road that leads to the mountain
paths OF love- 1t is q very broad road, like
another road that runs elsewhere, and, also
like this last, it has wide gate Sometimes,
too, it leads to destruction. But for all that |
it is most agreeable one to follow hand in |
hand, winding as it does through the pleasant |
meadows Of companionship. The view is |
rather limited, it is true, and homelike-full |
of familiar things There stand the kline,
knee deep in the grass; there runs the water;
and there grows the corn. Also one can stop |
il one likes. By and by it grows different. |
By and by when the travellers tread the
heights OF passion, precipices will yawn
and torrents rush, lightning will fall
and storms will blind; and who can know
that they will attain at last to that far of
peak, crowned with the glory of a perfect
peace which men call happinessa There are
those who say it never can be reached, and
that the halo which rests upon its slopes is no
earthly light, but rather, as it were, q
promise of beacon-a glow reflected whence
we know not, and lying on this alien earth as
the suns light lies on the dead bosom of the
moon. Some say, again, that they have